1. Field Of The Invention
The invention relates to a device for clearing snow and/or ice from a surface. More particularly the invention relates to a hand held windshield de-icer that comprises a rotatable brush, a heater and a scraper to remove ice and snow from a windshield and other surfaces of a car.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
The accumulation of ice and snow on windshields has been a problem as long as driving has been a winter activity. Compacted snow and ice cling tightly to the smooth surface of the windshield and make its removal difficult. A variety of de-icing devices have been developed in which scrapers having a number of different configurations are employed to remove the ice. Such devices although effective in relatively warm conditions when the snow or ice is soft and therefore readily removable, are not so effective when the snow or ice is compacted and consequently firmly attached to the windshield as is often the case in extreme winter conditions. Under such conditions, the removal of compacted snow or ice with a scraper is likely to be a protracted and somewhat inefficient affair that is necessarily undertaken in conditions far from ideal for the person that must remove the ice or snow.
Other devices have been developed that include a heater with a scraper in an attempt to enable the removal process to be hastened by softening snow or ice to facilitate scraping. Although more effective than the scraper alone, the heating elements of these devices tend to cover a relatively small area and be of relatively low power. As ice and snow covering a surface can at times be of considerable depth, the heater often has insufficient power to melt the snow or ice in contact with the windshield surface. The task of removing snow from a windshield is still likely therefore to take a considerable amount of time.
It is desirable therefore to provide an ice and snow clearing device that removes ice and snow from a surface quickly and efficiently even in extreme conditions, so as to minimize the driver's exposure to the elements and to hasten making the windshield transparent and accordingly allow the driver to begin the safe operation of the vehicle.